Olympic boxing champion Imane Khelif has strongly refuted recent claims that she has retired from the sport, making it clear that she remains dedicated to her career. The Algerian boxer, who made headlines at the Paris 2024 Games by winning gold in her weight category, dismissed the statements made by her former manager, Nasser Yesfah, as false and malicious.
Khelif and Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting had earlier faced controversy when both were disqualified from the 2023 World Championships by the International Boxing Association (IBA) due to alleged sex chromosome test results. Despite this, they were later cleared by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to compete in Paris, where both went on to win gold medals.
Rumors of Khelif’s supposed retirement surfaced after Yesfah told French newspaper Nice-Matin that she had “left the world of boxing.” Hours later, however, he clarified that his comments only referred to her departure from boxing activities in Nice, where she was previously part of the Nice Azur club.
Khelif, 26, responded firmly on Facebook, rejecting the claim and accusing her former manager of betrayal. She emphasized that she has never announced retirement, continues to train regularly, and is preparing between Algeria and Qatar for upcoming competitions. “The publication of such rumors is intended solely to disrupt and damage my sporting and professional career,” she wrote.
Although she opted out of a World Boxing tournament in the Netherlands in June, Khelif explained that her decision followed the governing body’s controversial move to introduce mandatory sex testing for all competitors. World Boxing president Boris van der Vorst later apologized after Khelif was named in that announcement, admitting her privacy should have been respected.
Despite the controversies, Khelif has vowed to continue boxing and confirmed she plans to defend her title at the 2028 Los Angeles Games. She has consistently reiterated that she was born a woman and has a long history of competing in female boxing categories.
